In this podcast we talk about Denis Villenueve’s new film, the visually dazzling Blade Runner 2049. In conception and execution, this film accomplishes the rare feat of being a sequel that is entirely worthy of its predecessor. We’ll give a few reasons why this movie is worth a careful viewing, and why I think it is a triumph of cinematic art.
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Thanks man – you’ve sold me. I’m a big fan of the first and was going to miss this because I was worried that it wouldn’t be faithful to the original.
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You’ll be glad you saw it, Paul. I will probably see it a second time, as it’s one of those movies that can get better each time.
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well, Sicario was such an astonishing cinematic experience I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
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I saw it yesterday.
I have to agree with the fact that it is a worthy successor and I’m quite happy to agree with your review a though I myself had some observations:
-Sean Young’s digital resurrection- there is something disturbing-dare I say even insulting?- about this trend of digitally resurrecting/rejuvenating actors on screen. At risk of engaging in a long boring philosophical reflection on It, suffice it to say that the whole idea brings back shades of that strange movie called “the congress”.
-The coming revolution plot:
Completely anti-climatic, if it was mentioned as a passing reference it would actually help the setting as things like this often happen even in our *real* world today (and in the time periods from which the setting draws its noir inspiration from).
Sadly it feels as if it was setting the ground for further sequels and a worrisome planet of the apes scenario.
-Replicants:
I like the idea, however for those of us who played the fabled blade runner graphic adventure game from 1997 for PC it will feel as a bit too much of the same thing, many would enjoy a focus on less endowed protagonists so to speak but that is a minor objection.
Female police officer/chief:
This is an interesting thing for me being a big fan of the cyberpunk genre ,which the french and Italians have managed to maintain and turn it into their own.
This archetype of a character often appears in french cyberpunk films and comics, so I’m wondering what influence it may have had over the french-canadian director.
(for reference, here are Two recent french cyberpunk films : Ares & Chrysalis)
– Finally and at the risk of spoilers, Harrison Ford:
Love to see him in such good shape (seemed to have a paunch which at his age is understandable but those arms have been seeing a lot of training!)
However,isn’t it strange that since the steaming trash that was Indiana Jones 4 and with some exceptions (Ender’s game) the man has always been cast into an older version of a character he’s already played watching over the young uns ?
I understand they did the same thing with his character in the last star wars movie (which thankfully I did not watch)
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I have just watched the film on your recommendation and it´s damn good cinema, prettty much on par with the original Blade Runner!
When I first learned of the sequel I thought it would be one of those cases in which they destroy a classic just for money, but thankfully this is far from being the case.
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